Food Week Gadgets: Fit & Fresh Food Containers

We're always on the lookout for functional containers to send to daycare with our three-year-old daughter Z for her lunch and snack, or even just for us to take out a snack when we go out for errands or play. We found some great-looking options in Fit & Fresh food containers, and the company was kind enough to send us some samples to try out. All of the containers mentioned below are made of polypropylene (i.e. non-polycarbonate) plastic.

Above is a picture of company's Fruit and Veggie Bowl in action. It's a bit too big to send to daycare, but we have enjoyed taking it when we go out for the day.

The most significant innovation in Fit & Fresh's highly specialized containers is the way each container incorporates an ice pack to keep your lunch or snack cool. The ice pack snaps into the lid of some Fit & Fresh models, or is incorporated in even more ingenious ways in others.

I first took an interest in Fit & Fresh because they offer a small snack container, the Snack Clip, which has a built-in ice pack. This is a rare thing in kids' snack containers, and means that you can pack something for your child other than Goldfish or Cheerios. I used it to pack blueberries and strawberries one day and blueberries and Annie's Cheddar Bunnies a different day.

The removable divider allows for separation of food or for a larger portion of one type of food. The ice pack kept the berries cool without making the Cheddar Bunnies soggy.

We also got a Lunch on the Go pack for review. I think this will go with Z to daycare in the fall. It has a large bottom container which is good for sandwiches or a main course for lunch, and the two top containers rest on the ice pack. The bottom layer has a full 1.5" of clearance below the ice pack, which rests on a couple of plastic tabs built into the main container body and thus serves as the shelf for the second level of food.

Each of these smaller second-story containers has its own lid.

There's enough room in the bottom container that the ice pack did not touch our sandwich bread. I sent Z with this container the other day and was able to fit her lunch (a soy nut butter and jelly sandwich) into the bottom with the top containers holding fruit and yogurt separately for her afternoon snack or as a part of her lunch.

The Fresh Start Breakfast Chiller would work for infants to hold an entire day's food, but for a toddler breakfast container it is a bit bulky, and at three years old Z already needs more food for the day than will fit here. The bottom of the contraption is a "dry storage bowl" which could be used for cereal as pictured at left, or for a small lunch serving, and the ice pack is a ring which suspends an inner storage cup that is perfect for yogurt, applesauce or other runny treat. An upper compartment is great for fruit, veggies, or anything else that needs to be kept chilled. This would have been perfect for Z when she was just starting with solids - I think we could have stored all the food for her day out of the house in this container. There is a folding spoon built into the lid which is also designed with attention to detail - the spoon snaps into a "locked" position so it doesn't fold up when you are trying to use it.

All of Fit & Fresh's containers are made from polypropylene, and we were impressed with the way each of the models we tested incorporated clever and thoughtful design elements, like the Snack Clip's removable divider or the unique salad-dressing "system" in their Salad Shaker, which we've checked out at our local Target.

Each of the items reviewed above runs around $10, with the exception of the $4 Snack Clip; given the ice packs built into each and the customized design you'll get for your favorite type of meal, we believe these products are a great value if you have the space to store them or would make the most use of a single model. You can order them from the Fit & Fresh website or read customer reviews and order them on Amazon.com.

We have a soccer-themed Snack Clip to give away to a ZRecs reader! Comment on this post (no emails for this giveaway) before Monday, August 13 has come and gone and tell everyone what two things you'd put in one of these as a snack for a young child in your life.

Welcome Parenthackers! Our giveaway is over, but if you missed any of the previous posts in our summer Food Week, click here to see them all!